Schattenwelt
by Ms. Mumpsimus
Summary: When you are an extraordinary gifted child, everything you do demands perfection with sky-scraping expectations. But for Kuroko Tetsuya, you are just you. "We are not defined by our abilities. Well, at least not until we allow them to define us."
1. Beginnings

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Kuroko no Basket_

**Warning/s:** Unbeta'ed. Awkward grammar.

**Title: ***Schattenwelt

**Summary:** When you are an extraordinary gifted child, everything you do demands perfection with sky-scraping expectations. But for Kuroko Tetsuya, _you_ are just _you_. _"We are not defined by our abilities. Well, at least not until we allow them to define us." _His nonchalant way of putting things makes him so annoyingly endearing and quite hard to resist—even with that equally exasperating perpetual poker face of his and gratuitous smartass remarks . A series of interrelated one-shots. GoM, Kuroko, Kagami.

* * *

**Beginnings**

* * *

_"If I could wake up in a different place, at a different time, _

_could I wake up as a different person?"_

— **Chuck Palahniuk, _Fight Club_**

* * *

_This is ridiculous._

Shintarou Midorima, aged ten, thought as he blandly watched his new classmates wiggle their butts just like what their nutty teacher had said.

"Alright, kids! Raise your hands in the air! Then, _squirm_!"

Midorima almost rolled his green eyes in exasperation.

"Breaking the ice!" he shouted again and Midorima had to stop himself from going in front to _break _his _nose_.

"Wiggle, everybody!"

He was now itching to _wiggle_ his way out of the room and just go home.

If not only for his mother, he would never set foot in this atrocious class and be stupid for the rest of the school year.

"_You need to go out more and play. You need to meet other kids and make new friends, Shin-chan."_

If meeting _new _friends meant wiggling his butt for one whole year, then, thanks but no thanks. He would rather play in his computer and PSP than be brainless and dim-witted just like everybody here.

_Why are they even following him?_ He irritatingly thought.

Fortunately, he was sitting at the left corner on the back, away from his horrifying advisor. But it didn't actually spare him from _hearing_ and _seeing _the hellish start his school year.

Midorima sighed.

He guessed he didn't really have much choice right now. Not when he was still a kid even if he was a little taller than other kids his age. Whether he liked it or not, he would be seeing this crowd for a year.

He was just hoping he would still be alive when the year ended.

"Now, raise your butts in the air!" the nutty teacher in front exclaimed so enthusiastically, like he knew what exactly Midorima was thinking right now and he was trying to exterminate him by royally pissing him off.

_Or at least me die peacefully, _he grimly thought.

He tried his best to ignore the appalling teacher and looked down on his feet.

There, settling beside his chair was a small teddy bear wearing a Hawaii costume.

A small smile lit on his face, and all the annoying sounds buzzing inside his ears suddenly vanished in the thin air just like magic.

_Thank god I brought my lucky item today_.

..

* * *

"I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!" Ryouta Kise, aged nine years and three months, shouted as he tearfully banged his yellow head on the car's headrest. "I'm late because of you, mother!"

His mother, a beautiful blonde woman, tried to cajole him by ruffling his hair and planting kisses on his forehead.

"I'm really sorry, dear. I promise I will call the school and explain to them what happened. Don't cry anymore," she said, her voice was apologetic. She was a top-notch lawyer in Tokyo and she was on his way to Yokohama that morning for another trial. She hated leaving him alone in their house with no one but their two helpers to look after him, but she had no choice but to agree since his father, a famous businessman, was currently busy in Hawaii for an official business trip.

Kise bit his lips as tried to calm himself.

Now, let us get this one straight: He, Ryouta Kise wasn't really a brat – _no_. His parents raised him to be a levelheaded kid who knew his boundaries and his place. They also made sure that Ryouta understood that being well-off didn't mean he could get anything he wanted without working hard for it. He was a jovial, kind kid who loved showering other people with his smiles and his boundless energy even if they were... err... unwarranted most of the times.

But why was he throwing some nasty crabbiness that morning?

Here's why:

It was the _first_ day of the school.

And he was already late for _two _hours.

The first two hours where the teacher calls each students in front to introduce themselves to their fellow classmates and get to know each other?

Yes.

_That_ first two hours.

Ryouta sniffed, hiccupping. His lips trembled in such an unpleasant way before he wretchedly wailed again startling his mother and their driver.

Ah. Yes.

It was official.

He, Ryouta Kise, just missed the most important two hours of the first day of school.

..

* * *

Murasakibara Atsushi, aged nine years and eleven months, munched the chips in his mouth as he watched the other kids in front of him oddly _danced_. His droopy eyes were following their butts ridiculously hanging in the air.

And they were all giggling as if they were all listening to some hush-hush joke.

Their teacher said something about 'breaking the ice' and the stupid dance was indeed breaking something inside the classroom.

Murasakibara continued chewing.

He was sitting on the right corner at the back of the classroom and it allowed him to clearly see everyone—as well as the weird teacher in front who seemed to be having so much fun seeing his students _literally_ squirm on the first day of the school.

It was fun watching them but he was actually waiting for the introductions, mind you. He was, in fact, incredibly prepared in reciting his short introductory remarks in front of everyone.

But it seemed that this _odd dancing_ facade would continue until the first half of the day for some unfathomable reasons.

His teacher was saying something like, 'breaking the ice' or somewhere along those lines.

His droopy eyes moved on every wiggling back, watching carefully, while munching his chips. He saw a chubby girl panting while trying to reach her toes. A boy that looked like he was having some kind of a seizure, and another boy who looked like the late Michael Jackson wiggling while doing the artist's famous move, 'moonwalk'.

He could also see the green haired boy wearing an eyeglasses staring murderously at the teacher in front while visibly grinding his teeth.

They were all so entertaining to watch—especially the green haired fella on the left corner at the back. He looked smarter and older than his age and grimace he had been wearing since the _class_ started was starting to get worse.

He wasn't small like the other boys in the classroom but Murasakibara was sure that he was still taller than him.

His eyes went back to the oblivious grimacing boy and smirked.

Sitting at the back really had its own perks, he thought, plunging another set of chips in his mouth again.

Well, he had tried sitting in front when he first came here an hour ago, but the teacher politely asked him to sit at the back which he just graciously followed. He didn't know why, but since he was little, he had always been asked to sit at the further part of the room to 'avoid inconveniencing others', as the adults put it.

He was sure it had something to do with him being so unbelievably tall for his age, hindering his classmates with _average _heights to participate normally in class discussions because he was literally blocking their view whenever he was sitting on front.

Well, he had no problems about sitting at the back anyway (he very much liked it, in fact) because it allowed him to eat anytime as he pleased.

It allowed him to observe other people, too, and to be familiar with them without actually talking to them. Besides, it was not as if they would talk to him—them initiating the conversation first, at least and this, he guessed, had something to do with his intimidating height again.

It was always the other way around.

He would always be the one who would initiate a conversation and that was the only time that people would talk to him. Well, he wasn't really trying to make friends with them. Rather, he just personally wanted to know if they were actually worth his efforts (or if he/she was worth knowing) which, unfortunately, the answer had always, always been a _'no'_.

At an early age, he already knew that he didn't need any friends or anyone at all, to be happy.

He just needed one thing.

Murasakibara licked his lips as he stared down at the bag of chips settling in his hands. He grimaced when he realized that it was almost gone. He rummaged his purple bag pack under his chair and grinned when he saw at least five bags of chips and lots candies and chocolates inside, mingling with his notebooks and pencils.

He grabbed a candy and unwrapped it before he put it inside his mouth.

Whoever invented food was a freaking genius, really.

..

* * *

"Dai-chaaaaan! We're gonna be late!" Satsuki Momoi, aged nine years and three months, banged the door of her childhood friend's room, Aomine Daiki, with her small fists.

"Go tell him that, Momoi-chan. I can't even handle that brat myself. Where is the cute Dai-chan I used to shower kisses before he goes to be How's your mother by the way? Is she doing well?"

"You've just talked to her few minutes ago, Oji-san," she said, rolling her eyes.

"H-hahahaha... Is that so?"

She ignored Aomine's father and focused again on knocking on the door.

She was determined to go to school with Daiki!

It was the first day of the school after all.

"Dai-chan!" she called out again.

Momoi hissed in frustration when there was still no reply from her childhood friend. It was, in fact, eerily silent inside the room and Aomine Daiki was a very loud snorer.

It was just kind of... weird.

Momoi turned around and glared at Aomine's old man who was still sprouting some nonsense about her mother. "Why are you letting him lock his door, Oji-san?!" she asked, noticeably annoyed.

Aomine's father stepped back and blinked. "Err... he said he wanted some space and... uh..."

Momoi's glare intensified. "And what?"

The old man sighed, resignation was imminent in his eyes. "I think you should go to school now, Momoi-chan. Daiki isn't here anymore. He...uh... already _left _thirty minutes ago."

"WHAT?!"

"Sorry, Momoi-chan. But Daiki threatened me. He said he would not talk to me anymore if I say anything to you. So, please! Don't tell my son!"

Satsuki Momoi walked towards the remorseful man and with all her might stomped on his left foot with her new black shoes, sending the poor father of Aomine into the fifth gate of hell.

"Do not come to our house again, you _stupid_, _stupid_ Oyaji! I hate you!" she shouted, running away.

"But I have a date with your mother tomorrow, Momoi-chan!"

"I don't care!" the pink haired cried as she slammed the door shut.

The man cradled his aching foot and sighed. He was seriously beginning to be afraid of his son's influence on the sweet pink haired girl.

He looked at his left foot and shook his head. He was sure it would be a little swollen tomorrow.

He shivered.

"It's frightening how she is slowly beginning to look like a female version of Daiki."

**..**

* * *

Aomine Daiki, aged ten, yawned as he trudged the road to his new school. He scratched his cheeks as he dryly stared at the overly exciting kids cheerfully talking and laughing as they walked on the other side of the road with their unbelievably huge bag packs perched on their shoulders.

Aomine squinted his eyes in irritation and yawned again. The sun was so cheerfully shining in the sky, too, and this, together with the annoying noises coming from that group of simple-minded idiots, were now slowly getting on his nerves.

Because of Momoi, he had to wake up early that day and go to school one hour earlier than he originally intended. He seriously didn't want to get caught hanging out with a girl (even if the said girl was his childhood friend) in the first day of the school because that would ruin his chances on getting a hot girl (or girls, if he were a little bit lucky) this year.

They would definitely think that he was already taken, or something stupid like that.

He decided to take the longest route to his new school to avoid the frustrating energized and animated chattering of the students walking to school that morning.

Aomine turned around in a corner and started walking away from the main road.

Suddenly, after walking for a few minutes, everything looked different.

It was the first time he had been in this side of the town even if he had been practically living here almost all his life. Aomine was the kind of boy who actually enjoyed being home stuck rather than spending his time outside, exploring the neighborhood.

As long as he could play basketball, he didn't really need anything. Fortunately, his father was also a basketball buff and maybe (just like what Momoi would always say to him, even if Aomine was always so against in hearing it) he inherited his passion for the sport from his father.

He was about to turned around again to another corner when he suddenly felt something weird on his feet. Aomine looked down and he jumped in surprise when he saw a ghostly, pale arm under his left foot and a soft-looking azure hair under his right foot.

Aomine felt his heart wallop in an unbelievably fast manner inside his chest that he thought he was having a cardiac arrest.

_It was a ghost! _ He cried, turning pale. _A freaking blue-haired ghost!_

Then he stopped.

_Wait. _

Still trembling, he mustered his courage to look at _it_ carefully and sighed in relief when he realized how stupid his train of thought was.

Of course_ it_ was just a freaking _human_! He thought, sighing. It was a boy, maybe a few years younger than him, slumped on the corner of the street, blood was freely gushing from his temple and—

Aomine's eyes widened.

"Holy shit—hey!" he immediately held the boy's wrist (which was so incredibly thin much to Aomine's astonishment) and he sighed when felt a pulse there, albeit almost non-existent. He also made sure that he was still breathing as he hovered a hand on the boy's nose. When he was sure that what he had in front of him was a living human being, he immediately lifted (Gently, gently... damn! He wasn't used being gentle with anyone!) the 'body' and carefully checked his vital signs.

It seemed that the only injury was the on his head.

He was about to lift the boy off the ground when he noticed a bike not too far away from the boy, crashed on a nearby wall.

It was not totally wrecked, but it was not looking good either and Aomine would never ride a bike like that even if he someone offered him a million yen.

Aomine shook his head knowingly. He had now a vague idea as to what happened to this stranger.

Sighing, he decided to take him to a nearby clinic, completely forgetting about school.

When he was about to sling those thin arms on his back, he felt a slight push of protest from the supposedly unconscious body that made Aomine swung his head on his back—

Deep set of cerulean eyes stared at him for almost an eternity and Aomine felt like he was staring at the sky itself, pulling him into an almost relaxing coma-state.

"You alright?" he asked after he shook his head, castigating himself for staring far too long.

The boy nodded and bowed as he tried to stand.

Aomine instantly held him on his elbow and scowled. "You're bleeding, you know."

"Yeah. I can feel it," the shorter boy said, bringing his pale hand on his temple and touching the source of the blood there. "I hit my head on the wall when I fell. But please don't worry. I'm fine."

_Fine, my ass. You look like you are about to fall again on your knees again. _

Aomine pointed out the bike on the ground. "That's yours, right?"

"Yeah."

"How did you fell?"

"A black car hit me."

"In the middle of the street?—"

"I was on the right side of the street. I think he didn't notice me, that's all."

Aomine scowled. "And he didn't even stop to help you?"

That was obviously a hit and run case.

He gritted his teeth. So, there were still people like that, huh.

"I told you, he didn't notice me."

Aomine's scowl deepened.

What did he mean by _he didn't notice me_ crap?

Was that even possible?

He was about to ask when the boy started to wobbly walked towards the fallen bike while wiping his bloodied forehead using his soiled shirt.

Aomine got to his feet and followed the shorter boy.

"Hey, there's a clinic nearby. I think you should have that checked," he casually said, hoping he would ask for his help. "You don't want that to be infected. It could get pretty nasty, believe me."

There was something unsettling about the boy that Aomine just couldn't quite put a finger on.

Maybe it was because the blood he had on his face right now.

Blood was always a disconcerting thing to see.

"Yes. I will do that," the blue haired kid said. "Thank you very much for helping me," he bowed again before he slowly pushed his bike away.

Then, he stopped and looked back at him again.

Something skipped inside Aomine.

Maybe the boy was just being shy and now that he realized that looking for the clinic by himself would prove more trouble than it's worth, so decided it would be far more rational to ask _him_ who seemed like he _very much knew_ the neighborhood.

Well, alright. Not really. But at least he was living within the area, right?

The unexpected glee that Aomine felt was immediately masked by his laid-back expression. "I can accompany you there, if you wan—"

"I hope you don't mind my asking, but what's the name of your school?" the boy asked.

Huh?

Aomine blinked.

The blue haired boy repeated his question again and Aomine nodded upon understanding it. He answered it monotonously; not really understanding what was happening until the boy said his thanks and bid him goodbye.

This time, he did not look back again.

_Will he really be alright?_

Aomine, after staring for God knew how long at the now deserted alley, scratched his head, and grinned to himself.

_What a weird guy,_ he thought and yawned.

..

* * *

_**"Where is that idiot?" _A ten-year-old red haired boy growled as he sat in the waiting area inside the airport. His father was nowhere to be seen.

_Maybe still throwing up somewhere. _

He felt a quiet buzz inside his pocket.

He took his phone out and grimaced when he saw who the caller was.

**"_Kuroko,"_ Kagami Taiga said, glowering.

"_Kagami-kun."_

**_"Where have you been?"_

"_Speak in Japanese. You are not in America anymore."_

Kagami clicked his tongue in irritation. "Where are you, Kuroko?"

"_I'm almost there. Where are you now exactly?"_

"In the passengers waiting area," he said.

"_I'll be there shortly. Where's Oji-san?"_

Kagami shrugged his shoulders. "Somewhere I don't know. He went missing right after we landed."

There was no response but he waited patiently. If Kagami didn't know the person he was talking to right now, he would have thought that the call was already abandoned.

"_I'm sorry I'm late, Kagami-kun."_

The red haired boy flushed a little. He brushed away the strands of hair brushing on his nose with his fingers and muttered, "Just hurry up, alright?"

"_Uhn."_

Kagami ended the call and sat, sighing. Being away in Japan for five years sure was weird. There were just so many things he didn't understand now but he was confident that after a few weeks, he would be back on track again.

He didn't really stop speaking in Japanese in America. In fact, their family always conversed in Japanese at home, much to his father's glee. He was a fan of Gundam Wing (an _Otaku_, as what his mother fondly calls him) since he was a child that was why when he graduated in college, he asked his parents to let him go to Japan for half a year as a graduation gift.

And that was when he met his mother.

They said it was whirlwind romance.

His mother, a pure Japanese woman who migrated in USA when she married his father, was so keen in making sure Kagami won't grow up without knowing the beautiful country of Japan and its culture and unique traditions. Kagami was born in America but after a year, his parents decided to send him to Japan under the care his maternal grandparents.

They said it was for him to experience the authentic Japanese culture.

Kagami scoffed and said that the only reason he was sent to Japan was because they wanted to extend their honeymoon.

He was really only teasing when he first said that.

Then, they _blushed_.

Kagami stared at them incredulously. 'It was freaking true, then?'

They just remained silent, refusing to meet his eyes.

Kagami face-palmed.

It became a running joke in their family afterwards much to _his_ parents' dismay.

..

* * *

He was already five years old when he left the country of his mother and now, he was back again.

He was about to call his father's phone to tell him that Kuroko was already nearby when he heard a strange commotion in the entrance. He could hear the women's worried and horrified outcries and the men's vague voices saying something he couldn't really understand. Some waiting passengers also heard the uproar outside and were now curiously stealing glances in the entrance.

Kagami was inquisitively looking, too, when his eyes caught something amidst the clamor.

_Sapphire colored hair._

"Kuroko!" he shouted, running towards the entrance. He was so sure it was Kuroko!

"Excuse me. Excuse me," he said, trying to get passed the line of curious bystanders.

And that was when he saw him;

Well, he was the same Kuroko he knew before; small body frame, thin neck, arms, and legs, and that set of unexpressive cerulean eyes. It was so astonishing at how time did not change Kuroko that much for the last five years that they did not see each other.

It was indeed Kuroko Tetsuya, his childhood friend.

And right now, his face was horridly soaked in blood.

It looked (the face) so horrifying that Kagami couldn't move from where he was standing.

Those blue orbs found him. Kuroko waved to him and walked towards his direction.

"Kagami-kun. Long time no see." Kuroko said in a deadpanned tone. "You've grown."

But the words of the shorter boy were drowned in the hysterical voices of the people around them.

"Oh my God! Somebody go get a stretcher!"

"Call an ambulance! Hurry!"

"What happened to you, kid?"

"Are you alright?"

"There is so much blood!"

Kuroko raised his left arm, silencing the commotion inside the airport.

Kagami felt his breath hitched, too.

"Thank you so much for worrying about me, sirs, madams, but I'm fine," he slowly said with a poker face. "This is just tomato ketchup that unfortunately splashed on my face on my way here."

In an instant, Kagami was already in front of Kuroko, sniffing his face.

"What are you doing, Kagami-kun?"

Kagami ignored the slight protest of the childhood friend and licked the _tomato sauce_ under Kuroko's eyes.

His eyes widened—

_This is not a tomato sauce!_

He lifted his hand and grabbed Kuroko's raised arm. "W-what happened to you?" he shakily asked.

"I fell, Kagami-kun," Kuroko said in a low voice. "But don't worry, I'm fine."

_Fine?_ He dubiously thought as he stared at the boy's bloodied face.

"Hospital," he lowly muttered, almost to himself.

Kuroko blinked. "No need, Kagami-kun—"

"_WE ARE GOING TO HOSPITAL! HEY! SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE, PLEASE!"_

The startled people surrounding began scattering away and the available personnel in the airport immediately called for help.

Kuroko frowned. "Stop it, Kagami-kun. I'm really fine."

"Shut up," Kagami growled as he began searching for his handkerchief inside his pockets. He cursed when he realized that he left the damn thing on his bag pack back at the baggage station.

He helplessly stared at Kuroko, who was just blankly staring at him, too.

_Damn it!_

He took his sweater off and leaned closer to his friend. He gently tried to wipe the blood on Kuroko's face and he gritted his teeth when he realized that the blood was already crusting.

That means it had been on his face for quite some time now.

Frustrated, he pushed down the blue haired kid's head and searched for the wound. It must be big, given the amount of blood on Kuroko's face.

After a few seconds, he finally found it.

It was kind of small than what he originally expected, but it was still a freaking wound and there was nothing to be happy about it.

There were also dried blood sticking on his hair and some of it trickled down his neck.

"What happened, Kuroko?" he asked again, much softer this time.

"I already told you. I fell."

"You fell from _where_?" Frustration was now slowly creeping on Kagami's head and it felt so annoyingly familiar.

"From my bike," said Kuroko with the same blank facial expression.

Did he ride a bike from their house to here?

"Does your head feel funny? Are you dizzy?"

"I'm a bit dizzy when I woke up, but I'm fine."

_He could be having a concussion._

Kagami bit his lips. He looked around, hoping to see his father but he was still nowhere to be seen.

He felt his knees shaking.

The last straw was when Kuroko put a hand on his face and tapped him on his shoulder.

The hand was cold but oddly enough, it felt warm enough on his skin.

"_Okaeri_, Kagami-kun," he said with a little smile.

Kagami looked away. "_T-tadaima._"

"I'm a little sleepy, Kagami-kun..."

Kagami's eyes widened. His head swung back to his childhood friend, panicking.

"N-No! Shit! Don't sleep, Kuroko!"

The shorter boy wobbled. "Sleepy..." he muttered again, eyes were half closing.

"Don't!" Kagami caught Kuroko right before he fell and began slapping his face. "Fight it! Oi!"

Kagami's worry escalated when Kuroko's eyes finally closed.

He clenched his teeth—

He really didn't want to do this.

But if this would make Kuroko stay awake until the goddamn ambulance came, then so be it.

Eyes tightly closed, Kagami shouted; "DON'T SLEEP, YOU LOUSY BASKETBALL PLAYER!"

His eyes remained closed until he felt a pang of pain on his cheeks.

He almost cried in relief when he saw Kuroko's deadpanned gaze locked on him again, his two pale fingers were agonizingly pinching his cheek.

"_That _hurt, Kagami-kun."

"What, you think _this _doesn't hurt?" Kagami scoffed, referring to his cheek that was still being firmly assailed by Kuroko.

"You deserve it, asshole."

"Whatever. Just don't sleep, _baka."_

"I wouldn't be able to sleep even if I want to. At least not until I obliterate this _godforsaken_ face."

"H-Hey!"

**TBC**

* * *

*Schattenwelt (roughly means, _shadowy world_)

_**Kagami speaking in English_

* * *

**Omake**

Midorima: We are not friends!

Murasakibara: Then what are we?

Midorima: We are... acquaintances.

Murasakibara: *munching*

Midorima: ...

Murasakibara: *munching*

Midorima: ...

Murasakibara: *munching*

Midorima: I hope that is clear to you.

Murasakibara: *munching*

Midorima: Good. *walks away*

Kuroko: Midorima-kun and Murasakibara-kun really _do_ understand each other. They can even talk without even talking at all. There is a _mutual_ understanding. Ah. Ah. The beauty of _homoero_-_ero-ero-ero-ero_—what is this word, Kise-kun?

Kise: CUT!

Let's see, Kurokocchi...

The script here should be, _"Ah! Ah! The beauty of friendship is really a wonderful thing!"_

This is wrong.

*looks around* Hey! Who gave him the wrong script?!

*looks back to Kuroko* Where did you get this paper, Kurokocchi?"

Kuroko: Someone just gave it to me—

Momo: ARGHHH! NOooo~! Where did you get that, Tetsu-kun?! That is mine!

Aomine: *evilly laughing at one corner*

Midorima: That is so childish, Aomine.

Murasakibara: *munching*

* * *

**Author's rant slash information corner:**

*_Blinks*_ Eh? Already done? _*Yawn*_ That was fast.

Alright. Let's get down to business, shall we?

This is my first fic in KuroBas fandom. As a newbie writer, I am humbly asking for your patient and understanding.

As you can see, I was not even lucid when I was writing this story. But there will be more chapters to come, that's for sure – _hopefully _next week, but I won't promise anything. The next chapters won't be this long though (maybe) since I am a very unorganized and inconsistent kind of person. Well, just tell me if you want me to continue this and if not, I can just end it in another chapter or two or whatever fits my diabolic schedule and lifestyle. Point is, everything will depend on the story's feedbacks and whatnots.

Thank you for reading!

Don't forget to review!


	2. We are not related

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kuroko no Basket.

**Warning/s:** Unbeta'ed. Awkward grammar.

* * *

"Is he gonna be alright, Doc?"

"You make it sound like I'm going to die, Kagami-kun."

"Will you shut up, Kuroko?" Kagami hissed.

"Only when _you_ shut up. You sound like my mother in that tone, do you know that?"

Kagami bit his lips and restrained himself. If he could remember it correctly, Kuroko was only chatty like this when he wasn't feeling alright. It was because he was trying to avert his thoughts from the pain he was feeling.

"So, how is he, Doc?" Kagami asked again, ignoring the firm pinch on his arm again.

Damn. And his cheeks hadn't even recovered yet.

"Are you ignoring me, Kagami-kun?"

The doctor amusedly watched as Kuroko tried to tear a flesh from Kagami's arm.

"H-he's calling you, you k-know..." he said, half-smiling, to Kagami.

Kagami sighed. "Please don't mind him, Doc."

"Just because you've gotten taller doesn't mean you can just ignore me if you want, BakaKagami."

_Twitch._

"Doc."

"A-Ah, yes... Ah... He's f-fine. Don't worry. You don't have to w-worry about concussion – "

"Of course I don't have a concussion, Doc. I would have felt it otherwise, right?"

" – and there'll b-be a mild fever in the evening b-but it is normal. Just keep him hydrated and –"

"Fever? I used to have fevers a lot when I was still a kid. You remember, Kagami-kun?"

" – change his bandage every day."

_Twitch._

Kuroko was pinching harder than before, goddamnit!

"K-kagami-kun?" the doctor called the red haired kid who was still obviously twitching from god knows what reason. "I received a call f-from your father a while ago and he said a taxi will come here to bring you two to your hotel."

"About time," Kagam mumbled incoherently before bowing to the physician. "Thank you so much for your help, Doc."

Kuroko bowed, too, even if he was still lying on the bed. "Thank you very much."

The young doctor shyly smiled at them.

"It's nothing. It's my job after all," he said before biting his lower lip in hesitation. "D-do you mind if I ask you two a question?"

Kuroko let go of Kagami's arm (Kagami almost ran into a corner to nurse his now almost swelling arm due to incessant pinching) and shook his head.

"Are you two siblings?" he asked, half-smiling. "You looked pretty close to me, you see." He looked at Kuroko's perpetual expressionless face and smiled. "You are the youngest, aren't you? You're pretty lucky to have a big brother like him," he said, referring to Kagami.

Kagami pulled out his phone and dialed a number before deeply sighing.

"The doctor needs an ophthalmologist, Kagami-kun," Kuroko deadpanned.

"Yeah, I'm on it," mumbled Kagami. "Hello? Dad? Where have you been?! Tch. Yes. We're here. Yes. He's fine. Yeah. Can I ask you a favor? Can you get me a good ophthalmologist now? Please send it in this address," Kagami recited the full address of the clinic much to the doctor's bewilderment. "Right now, yes. Hurry up, alright? Yes. I got it. See you."

The doctor remained unmoving. His eyes were widening in confusion.

"You see, doc. This guy here," Kagami ruffled Kuroko's teal hair and grinned, "is older than me by a year. He's already eleven years old. I'm just ten. And just to clear some horrible misunderstanding; we're not even related. _Please._"

"I'd rather die than to have a brother like Kagami-kun."

Kagami glared at Kuroko. "You're pissing me off. Seriously."

"Is that a compliment?" Kuroko asked impassively.

* * *

..

"Can you stop that, Momoi?"

"Stop what?"

Aomine glared daggers on the girl's tentacle gripping his arm. "That."

Momoi pouted. "No."

"I can't walk properly!"

"You're walking just fine, Dai-chan," the girl said, gripping his arm more tightly than before.

"You are suffocating my damn arm!"

"Shut up, Dai-chan."

Momoi had been pestering him since last night for leaving her behind yesterday.

And this morning, the girl has suddenly popped in front of him in front of their home, as if she had been there for a hours now, waiting.

She was smiling so sweetly that Aomine thought

And now, Momoi was clinging on his arms like a freaking pink haired octopus.

And now, Aomine had no choice but to go to school with his childhood friend.

Aomine groaned and scratched his head in annoyance.

Above them, the sun was, as usual, shining so fucking bright again much to Aomine's frustration.

_Damn it. I hate mornings after all._

* * *

..

"Is this seat taken?"

Murasakibara turned his head to the owner of the voice and shook his head.

"Thanks," said the blonde boy before sitting on the empty chair in front of him. It was a new student. Murasakibara was so sure that he didn't saw him here yesterday.

"I'm Ryouta Kise," the newly arrived student said, smiling.

Murasakabira nodded. "Atsushi Murasakibara," he said, munching a chocolate stick.

The blonde boy grinned. "Nice to meet you, Murasakibarachi."

Murasakibara just stared at the new peculiar boy beaming at him.

_Murasakibarachi? What the hell was that?_

* * *

..

"No!" Kagami shouted furiously. What the hell this little guy was saying?

"Is that a no?" Kuroko asked, not even perturbed by the abrupt rising of his tone.

"Didn't I just say that?" Kagami said, arching his eyebrows. "And besides, what the hell are you thinking? We are already enrolled in Rakuzan Shōgakkō-Oi! I'm not done talking to you, teme! Where the hell are you going?!"

"Well, I'm done talking to you, Kagami-kun. Good luck in your new school," Kuroko said straight-faced as he made his way out of his favorite fast food chain.

"What?!" Kagami swallowed his remaining burger and ran towards the cold blue haired boy. "Oi! Kuroko!"

* * *

**TBC**


	3. Rawr

**Disclaimer:** I do not own these characters.

**Warning/s:** Unbeta'ed.

* * *

He was painfully bored.

Aomine yawned as he stared outside the classroom. It was only the third day of school and he already wanted to drop out and just sleep all day on his bed.

Or play _Persona_ in his PSP.

He looked around and saw a bunch of students idly taking a nap; heads were down on their tables while some were almost, _almost_ half way there (their heads were lolling up and down that he would have laughed if not for the severe boredom he was presently feeling). Seriously, studying Japanese History was the most perfect thing to do to anesthetize the mind. It didn't also help that the one teaching the dreary subject was no other _Teacher Saki_ (as she would like to be called), a fifty-something floofy woman who had a grotesque affection for anything pink. She was a soft-spoken instructor and she didn't seem to mind that half of her students were openly sleeping in her class that day.

_This sucks_.

Aomine droopy eyes wandered again outside.

Then, a memory suddenly popped out in his mind.

It was a memory of a sapphire haired boy bowing while pushing his bike away.

_"Thank you very much for helping me."_

Aomine watched the colorless clouds in the sky moved slowly while the wind continued to lead them along.

_I wonder what happened to him_, he thought, yawning yet again. His eyes started to close slowly; drowsiness and lethargy were now gradually consuming his mind and thoughts.

Aomine didn't know that that particular boy he was just thinking a while ago was now standing outside his classroom together with a grouchy red haired lad who looked like he didn't want to be there at the moment.

After a few minutes, Teacher Saki called the two inside and introduced them to the class.

The crowd of inquisitive kids eyed the newcomers curiously. The two, after introducing themselves, were asked to sit at the back of the room where the remaining vacant chairs were located.

The girls muttered to each other excitedly as they stared at the tall red haired kid as he made his way at the back. He sat right next to the shorter boy who sat behind a tall and dark skinned lad whose face was flat on his desk, drooling.

"_You'll gonna pay for this, Kuroko. Just you wait," _the taller boy muttered, glaring menacingly at his childhood friend.

"Speak in Japanese, Kagami. You are not in America anymore," said the Kuroko. Kagami gritted his teeth in infuriation as Kuroko continued to stare straight-faced in front, not even sparing him a glance.

He didn't really know how this midget could do be so cold at times. And they were supposed to be childhood friend, huh?

Kagami just closed his eyes in irritation and sighed as he averted his eyes to the other side of the room.

The girls sitting at the back blinked flirtatiously at him.

Kagami's eyes twitched in uneasiness when some of them winked at him and squealed soundlessly.

He glanced at a nonchalant Kuroko sitting on his right and glowered at him. This evil young man had no idea what kind of maltreatment he was experiencing right now!

Kagami was startled when a crumpled piece of paper landed right on his desk.

_What the hell is this?_

He eyed it curiously and opened the crinkly paper.

Kagami instantly paled when he finished reading it.

And why not?

He had just earned his first flock of admirers in Seirin Shōgakkō, thanks to Kuroko Tetsuya.

_DAMN YOU, KUROKO!_

* * *

**Omake:**

Kuroko and Kagami were walking home when the latter dropped something on the ground.

It was a piece of paper.

Kuroko bent and picked it up, thinking it must be important to Kagami if the boy was keeping it with him.

"You dropped something, Kagami-kun – "

Kuroko halted when his eyes fell on the words written on the wrinkled paper. He didn't mean to read it, really. It was just that the paper was already opened for the entire world to see.

'_I love you! Your red hair looks so fierce! I like it~~! Rawr!'_ It read.

When Kagami found out about it, it was already too late.

Kuroko had already read it several times.

Memorized it, even.

"AAAARGHHH! DO NOT READ IT!" Kagami shouted, sprinting to the shorter boy. He snatched the piece of paper away from Kuroko's prying eyes .

"What did you see?" he asked, petrified.

Kuroko blinked. "Everything. '_I love you. Your red hair looks so fierce. I like –"_.

Kagami shrieked as he began tearing the paper into hundreds of tiny pieces.

..

Kagami groggily sat on the toilet, yawning. He didn't get enough sleep last night thanks to Kuroko's constant pestering. He was about to get his toothbrush when he heard someone calling his name.

"Kagami-kun."

Blame it to his lack of sleep, he answered without thinking. "Yes...?"

"_Rawr."_

It was Kuroko, peeping through the slightly opened door of the bathroom.

For two weeks, Kagami suffered Kuroko's extra special bullying.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thank you so much for those people who reviewed. :3 I'll be regularly updating this baby from now on. So, expect more chapters to come. Review and let me know what you think. _Jaa na_!


	4. Can I Eat You?

**Disclaimer:** I own none of these characters.

**Warning/s:** Unbeta'ed chapter. Kuroko's odd humor. Equally odd author.

**Author's note:** HAPPY NEW YEAR! Aaaand this is late, I know and I am sorry. I was busy, really busy these last few weeks and I am hoping you will forgive me. Anyway, thanks a lot to those who reviewed the last chapter and I hope you will like this one, too. Let me hear what you think, 'kay? The story is kind slow but I meant to write it that way, I love building plots and the likes. For those who are asking if this will be a BL, the answer is I honestly still don't know (but well, knowing me... *coughs*)

Akashi would be included in the next chapters though (as well as the other characters of Kuroko no Basket (I LOVE THEM ALL!) and they will be introduce one by one) and he will play an important role in this story, especially in Kuroko's life. *grins*

..

..

..

"Hey, who's the guy?" Ryota Kise, the blonde boy who had been the center of almost half of the school population's admiration, asked to his seatmate as the two latecomers find their way at the back of the classroom. He was late for his Japanese History class so he missed the teacher's introduction of the two.

The girl fluttered her eyelashes first before answering.

"The red haired boy is Taiga Kagami-kun. The teacher said he came from America."

"Really? That's awesome..."

Kise looked at the (shivering? was he shivering?) red haired boy and whistle. "He must be good in English..."

"A-ano... Kise-kun? Can I b-borrow your notebook in math? I was thinking maybe we can study together for the quiz this Saturday?"

_Maybe he could help me be better in English!_ And just like that, he promised to himself that he would befriend the new kid and make his stay in Teikou fun and memorable!

"A-anoo... K-Kise-kun?"

He was already thinking of all the things he could do together with the new kid that he almost forgot the girl sitting beside him.

It was lunch break when he finally noticed the unusual mop of baby blue hair beside the fiery locks of Kagami Taiga.

It was now hard not to notice him when he was being held up high by the class giant, Atsushi Murasakibarachi like he was some kind of a trophy.

Bullying?

It was his first day and there was already someone bullying him?

Kise scrunched his eyebrows.

He wouldn't allow it.

He was already walking towards their direction when he overheard the last words of the violet haired boy who was still, for some strange reason, holding the light blue hair boy up in the air.

"_Can I eat you?"_

Kise _almost_ fell flat on the floor.

..

_He_ was interesting. The light blue haired kid had been interesting for the last fifteen minutes and that was new to him. He couldn't even tear his eyes away from his lithe body and his graceful way of walking. It was as if the ground was especially made for him and only for him. The new boy was walking inside the classroom like he didn't care about the world or if the world didn't care about him.

He was so interesting.

He had never seen a kid with such aura before.

He interest perked up more when the boy spoke in front of the class and even if that voice was immediately drowned by the voices of the girls who were loudly whispering to each other about how good looking the red haired boy was, his voice still found its way to his ears.

Usually, his curiosity would just last about a few seconds or a minute or two but that was it. It would never go beyond that.

"What's your name?" he asked the light blue kid who was too busy eyeing his red haired companion. They sat near his seat much to his amusement.

The light blue haired kid turned around and said, "Kuroko."

Murasakibara Atsushi felt a rush of adrenaline fill his lungs. Those eyes... they looked like they were going to swallow him whole.

He just continued to stare as his fascination in the boy bubbled up some more.

It was not until lunch break that he decided that two hours was long (too long, in fact) enough for him to be that interested to someone he just met.

It was time to make a move.

He stealthily approached Kuroko, not minding the tall boy walking beside him and in one swoop, he grabbed that unknowing small waist and lifted him up in the air.

Kuroko Tetsuya's blank expression remained. "What are you doing? New classmate-kun?"

"It's Atsushi Murasakibara," he said, more fascinated than before.

"Then, what are you doing, Murasakibara-kun?"

Murasakibara lips moved and before he knew it, he was already smiling. He thought smiling would be more tasking than this. Since when did smiling become as easy as breathing? It was probably this guy's fault.

"Can I eat you?"

..

"I can't eat anymore, Dai-chan! I'm so full!" Momoi whined as she looked down her plate. It was still full of mushrooms! Gah! She had been eating the same thing for the last few minutes now but they couldn't seem to go away!

"What are you saying? You didn't even touch your food, Momoi. Stop poking them and eat."

"Meanie! You know I hate them but you still bought them!" the pink haired girl shouted, pouting.

Aomine scowled. "If you don't like it, then go buy your own food."

Momoi's pouting got even worse.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Dai-chan was supposed to fawn over her, asking her what she likes. It was supposed to be romantic like in the film she watched last night where the boy asked the girl if she likes chocolate and vanilla ice cream and then the girl said vanilla and then their eyes met, the surroundings got cloudy and then... and then... they k-k-k-k-issed...

"I want to do that too!" Momoi shouted in frustration. She looked at her childhood friend who was staring at her like she was some kind of a weirdo.

Dai chan was supposed to be her prince charming! Her knight in shining armor!

_C'mon! Ask me! Ask me if I'm okay, you stupid, stupid Dai-chan!_

"Are you sure you're not stoned, Momoi?" he finally asked, completely crushing her hopes.

Sometimes, Aomine Daiki was really such a naive asshole.

..

Aomine was about to eat his last French toast when the table suddenly went shaking and before he could even lift his head up to see what's happening to his childhood friend, he was already swallowing the words "I HATE YOU, DAI-CHAN!" that were left echoing in ears. The pink haired girl was already running away from the table when he gained his mind again and that was when he realized he was far too hungry to play Momoi's games.

He was about to resume to his eating when his eyes caught that familiar shade of light blue roaming at the school cafeteria.

Aomine's dark blue eyes widened.

It was _him_.

Oddly enough, the boy stopped and looked around as if he had sensed his prying eyes and after a few seconds, their gazes were kind of locked again**—**just like the first time that they had met.

..

He was on his way to the canteen to search for his childhood friend when Kagami suddenly went missing after his meeting with Murasakibara-kun.

Kuroko was about turned around when his eyes caught a familiar shade of dark blue hair sitting on one of the tables outside the canteen.

It was _him_ **—**the boy who helped him that afternoon after he was accidentally got hit by a car. He looked unwell though, Kuroko thought as he watched a piece of the poor hotdog slide down on the dark blue haired boy's mouth. It was kind of disgusting, really, but Kuroko paid the thought no heed. He saw Kagami do things worse than that.

Like eating his boogers (he was unconsciously doing that when he Kuroko caught him, though), secretly scratching his bal—

Anyway, the dark skinned boy looked like he was suffering from a extreme case of stupefaction at the moment. Kuroko looked around to make sure it wasn't him that making the odd boy looked more... odd. But when he saw no one aside from the two cats roaming on his feet, circling him, he concluded that his new, unidentified ability to stupefy could be used as a powerful shield and weapon agaist Kagami.

"W-what are you doing here?" At last, after a few seconds of being strange, he finally spoke.

Kuroko tilted his head in confusion. "I am studying here," he said, bemused. What else could be the reason for being in school, right?

The boy looked more confused than before.

"What g-grade are you in?"

When he spoke again to answer his question, the blue haired boy scowled.

"Liar," he said, his eyes were sharp. "I didn't see you there. I was there the whole time, you know? It was my class and**—"**

Kuroko nodded, "Yes. I saw you this afternoon and you were sleeping in class."

**TBC**


End file.
